Device for controlling yarn winding pressure on a package

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to improvements in mechanism for controlling the winding pressure on a package in precision winders of the type having a roller bail extending along the whole length of the package being wound. Increases in the diameter of the winding package causes the roller bail to contact the package which results in rotation of the roller bail. The rotation of the roller bail is transmitted through a speed reduction device to a roller bail receding or retracting means which effects movement of the roller bail away from the peripheral surface of the package. The means for effecting the retracting movement of the roller bail is materially simplified for easier resetting of the device at the time of package doffing and for reducing contacting pressure between the package and the roller bail to an extremely low point. A linear flexible connector is fixed at one end to the frame of the machine and at its other end to a winding drum rotatably mounted on a pivotal arm that supports the roller bail. Slight rotation of the roller bail due to contact with the periphery of the package is transmitted through the speed reduction device to rotate the winding drum to wind up thereon the linear connector. The shortening of the linear flexible connector by the winding operation causes the arm supporting the roller bail to swing about its pivot very slightly to thus move or retract the roller bail away from the package.

United States Patent Tsukuma et al.

.1 1 July 11, 1972 [22] Filed: Sept. 5, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 855,597

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.608,150, Jan. 9,

1967, Pat. No. 3,510,078.

521 11.8. c1. ..242/18 R, 242/43 51 Int. Cl. ..B65h 54/02, B65h 54/28[58] Field ofSearch ..242/18, 18 AB, 18 G, 43

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,975 12/1943 Stahl etal.. ..242/18 2,463,773 3/1949 .lencks ..242/18 2,466,600 4/1949Lawson... 242/18 X 2,740,589 4/1956 Keith ..242/18 2,740,590 4/1956Keith ..242/18 2,769,299 11/1956 Keith 242/18 x 2,972,450 2/1961Brierley ..242/18 3,367,587 2/1968 Klink et al ..242/18 0 PrimaryExaminer-Stanley N. Gilreath Attorney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel .l.Lobato s71 ABSTRACT The invention relates to improvements in mechanismfor controlling the winding pressure on a package in precision windersof the type having a roller bail extending along the whole length of thepackage being wound. Increases in the diameter of the winding packagecauses the roller bail to contact the package which results in rotationof the roller bail. The rotation of the roller bail is transmittedthrough a speed reduction device to a roller bail receding or retractingmeans which effects movement of the roller bail away from the peripheralsurface of the package. The means for efiecting the retracting movementof the roller bail is materially simplified for easier resetting of thedevice at the time of package dofiing and for reducing contactingpressure between the package and the roller bail to an extremely lowpoint. A linear flexible connector is fixed at one end to the frame ofthe machine and at its other end to a winding drum rotatably mounted ona pivotal arm that supports the roller bail. Slight rotation of theroller bail due to contact with the periphery of the package istransmitted through the speed reduction device to rotate the windingdrum to wind up thereon the linear connector. The shortening of thelinear flexible connector by the winding operation causes the armsupporting the roller bail to swing about its pivot very slightly tothus move or retract the roller bail away from the package.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING YARN WINDING PRESSUREON A PACKAGE This application is a continuation-in-part of our copendingapplication Ser. No. 608,150 filed on Jan. 9, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No.3,510,078 granted May 5, 1970.

In the prior application, a device for controlling winding pressure on apackage used in a precision winder having a roller bail extending alonga whole length of a package is disclosed. The frictional rotation of theroller bail, due to contact with the package peripheral surface duringwinding operation, is advanced into a roller bail mechanical recedingmeans through means for actuating the roller bail's backing away motionby the mechanical receding means in response to the roller bailsfrictional rotation and the roller bail recedes from contacting with thepackages peripheral surface as the package diameter increases. Theactuating means contains a speed reduction device having a rotatableinput and output shaft, the former accepting mechanical signals andforce caused by the rotation of the roller bail and the latter effectingoperation of the mechanical receding means in response to the acceptedmechanical signals and force.

Although a considerable advance in the art was attained in the yarnwinding pressure controlling operation by the device disclosed in theprior application, there still exists some operational troubles anddifficulties to be solved by further improvement. The present inventionis purposed for mitigating the referred troubles and difficultiesinevitably possessed by the prior controlling system. For example, therelatively complex mechanical structure of the quoted device entails anincrease in the manufacturing and/or maintenance costs thereof. It isfurther pointed out that the roller bail receding motion on the priordevice is dependent upon the referred combination of the gears and thegears must be urged toward each other for a stable meshing conditiontherebetween. Due to the need for this urging force, the pressuredeveloped between the roller bail and the package periphery tends to beundesirably increased.

The present invention relates to an improvement in a device forcontrolling yarn winding pressure on a package, more particularlyrelates to an improvement in the construction of the above-describedmechanical actuating means for effecting the backing of the roller bailaway from the contacting the packages peripheral surface.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvementin a device for controlling yarn winding pressure on a package wherebyall the drawbacks inevitably possessed by the device of the quoted typeare completely eliminated.

In order to attain the above-described objects of the invention, theimprovement of the present invention is characterized by a cord-likemember one end of which is fixed to a frame-work of the winder and theother end of which is connected to the roller bail supporting means by awinding-up element. The winding-up element is related to the outputshaft of the speed reduction device. By the rotation of the roller bail,due to peripheral contact with the package, the winding up element windsup the cord-like member and the roller bail supporting means tends tomove towards the fixed end of the cord-like member thus effectingmovement of the roller bail away from contacting the package.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be morefully apparent from the ensuing description, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings in which;

pivoted at its one end to a shaft 7 secured to the winding unit 1 and toanother end of the arm 6, a cam box 4 is secured. In the cam box, a cammechanism for actuating a traversing motion of a traverse yarn guide iscontained. The spindle 2 is driven by a power transmission mechanism(not shown) in a direction shown by an arrow in the drawing, while thespindle 2 is related to the cam mechanism of the cam box 4 so as to windthe yarn around the bobbin 3.

FIG. I is a side view, partly omitted, of an embodiment of theimprovement according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side view, partly omitted, of another embodiment of theimprovement according to the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly omitted, of the embodiment shown in FIG.2, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the gear reduction device employedin the FIG. 2 embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the improvement of the presentinvention is shown. In the embodiment, a spindle 2 is rotatablysupported by a winding unit 1 and a bobbin 3 for holding yarn layers ismounted on the spindle 2. An arm 6 is In the vicinity of the bobbin 3, aroller bail 9 is disposed to the cam box 4 which is carried by arm 6.The disposition of the roller bail 9 is so designed as to be adapted tocontact the peripheral surface of the winding yarn package and extendsalong the whole length of the package. A pulley 8 of small diameter issecured to an end of the roller bail 9 and a reduction device 11 issecured to the cam box 4 on the far side opposite to the roller bail 9in such a way that the reduction device 11 can swing with the cam box 4as the arm 6 moves about the shaft 7. A pulley 10 of large diameter ismounted on an input shaft 26 of the reduction device 11. Rotation of thelarge pulley 10 is caused by the rotation of the roller bail 9 by way ofa belt drive 12. Due to the difference in diameter of both pulleys 8 and10, the rotating speed of the input shaft 26 is reduced from that of theroller bail 9. A gear wheel 51 is firmly mounted to the output shaft 27of the reduction device 11. At a free end of a bracket 52 secured to theupper surface of the cam box 4, a lever 54 is pivotally disposed to ashaft 53 laterally extruding from the bracket 52. A free end of thelever 54 is provided with a laterally projecting shaft 55 on which awinding drum 57 is rotatably mounted. Adjacent to this wind ing drum 57and fixed to rotate therewith, a gear wheel 56 is mounted on the shaft55 and adapted to mesh with the gear wheel 51 of the reduction device11.

In addition, a pin 61 is fixed to the framework 1 of the winding unit ata position to the left of the reduction device 11 as shown in thedrawing. A flexible cord 58 is disposed to the above-described mechanismwith its one end fixed to the pin 61 and its other end fixed onto aperiphery of the winding drum 57 so that the cord can be wound thereon.At a position adjacent to the shaft 7 remote from the cam box 4, a lever70 extends from the arm 6 and is provided with a balancing weight 71 atits free end.

In the above-described mechanical arrangement, the operation of themechanism is as follows.

The arm 6 is always lightly urged counterclockwise around the shaft 7 inthe drawing due to the presence of the balancing weight 71, that is, theroller bail 9 is always retained in slight contact with the periphery ofthe package. On slight rotation of the roller bail 9 due to contact withthe rotating package, the output shaft 27 of the reduction device 11rotates accordingly. This rotation of the output shaft 27 causes arotation of the winding drum 57 around the shaft 55 by way of the gearwheels 51 and 56 and the cord 58 tends to be wound up on the peripheryof the winding drum 57. Because the cord 58 is fixed to the pin 61 atits one end and the arm 6 is pivotally or turnably mounted on the shaft7, the thus created tension on the cord 58 tends to pull the cam box 4towards the pin 61, that is, the arm 6 fixedly supporting the cam box 4is turned slightly around the shaft 7 against the counterclockwiseurging of the balancing weight 71. Thus, the roller bail 9 carried bythe cam box 4 recedes slightly away from the periphery of the package.This extremely slight receding movement of the roller bail 9 is followedby an increase in the package diameter and is caught soon after. As soonas the package of increased diameter onceagain comes in contact with theroller bail 9, the roller bail once again starts to rotate and theabovedescribed operation cycle is repeated.

For the purpose of manual resetting of the apparatus, a pair of levers21 and 22 may be disposed to the arm 6 with one lever 21 of the twoturnably mounted on a shaft 65 secured to the arm 6 and the other lever22 fixedly mounted thereto by a suitable set screw as shown in FIG. 1. Aspring 25 is inserted in between the two levers 21 and 22 biasing themapart.

In this embodiment, the lever 21 is provided with a lateral projection64 formed on its stem portion and the lever 54 is also provided with alateral projection 62 formed on its stem portion. Both lateralprojections 62 and 64 are connected by a link 63. At the time ofresetting the apparatus, the free ends of the levers 21 and 22 aregripped against the expanding force of the intervening spring 25. Then,the counterclockwise tuming of the lever 21 around the shaft 65 turnsthe lever 54 around the shaft 53 by way of the link 63, and the gearwheel 56 is released from engagement with the gear wheel 51, so as toenable manual resetting of the apparatus.

Still another modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is shown inFIGS. 2-4. In this embodiment, a reduction device 73 having acylindrical configuration is rotatably mounted in a a holder orsupporting means 72' mounted on one side of the cam box 4 remote fromthe roller bail 9. The holder 72 therefore functions as a bearing forrotatably supporting the reduction device 73. This reduction device 73is provided with an input shaft 26 and an output shaft 27 in such amanner that the axial center lines of the three numbers are in axialalignment. The output shaft 27 of the reduction device 73 is providedwith a winding drum 75 secured to a free end thereof, and a flexiblecord 76 is fixed to the periphery of the winding drum 75 and extends toa pin 78 secured to the frame work of the winding unit 1. At one sideand adjacent to the periphery of the reduction device housing 73 isconnected a ratchet wheel 74 which is fixed thereto for rotationtherewith within the holder and an L-shaped ratchet pawl 79 is pivotallymounted at its apex to the stationary holder 72. The pawl of the ratchet79 releasably engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 74 of thereduction device 73 to releasably lock the housing of the reductiondevice to the support 72 thereby enabling rotation of the input shaft 26to be transmitted through the gear reduction ratio of the reductiondevice to the output shaft 27 and the other end of the ratchet pawllever 79 is provided with a lateral pin 80. A link 81 connects the pin80 of the ratchet arm 79 with a pin 82 laterally formed on a stem of thelever 21. The arm 6 is also provided with a balancing weight 71 for thepurpose as described in the preceding embodiment.

The reduction device 73 comprises a cylindrical housing H and theratchet wheel 74 is secured to one end of the housing H. The housing ismounted for rotation within the support holder 72 and when the pawl 79is engaged with the ratchet wheel 74, the housing of the reductiondevice is held stationary and when the pawl 79 is disengaged from theratchet wheel,

, the housing of the reduction device may rotate relative to the supportholder 72.

The internal structure of the reduction device 73 is conventional andwell-known in the art and a simplified showing of the internal workingsof the reduction device is shown in FIG. 4 wherein it may be seen thatthe input shaft 26 has a gear A connected to one end thereof and in asimilar manner, the output shaft 27 is connected at one end to a gear B.Additional gears C and D are respectively in mesh with the gears A and Band these gears are affixed to a shaft E. The size and number of teethon the gears A, B, C, D are suitably chosen to effect a reduction ratioof, for example 1/500, with respect to the rotation of the input shaft26 relative to the output shaft 27.

In the above-described mechanical arrangement of the embodiment, therotation of the roller bail 9 due to contact with the periphery of therotating package causes rotation of the output shaft 27 of the reductiondevice 73 together with the rotation of the winding drum 75. Thus,created tension of the cord 76 causes clockwise turning of the arm 6around the shaft 7 in the drawing against the counterclockwise urgingeffect of the balancing weight 71. The the roller bail 9 mounted on thecam box 4 is receded slightly away from the periphery of the package.The mode of repetition of the above-described receding or retractingoperation in relation to the increase in the package diameter is thesame as that described in the preceding embodiment.

With respect to manual resetting of the apparatus, the .engagement ofthe pawl of the ratchet lever 79 with the ratchet wheel 74 peripherallydisposed on the reduction device 73 is broken by gripping the free endsof the levers 21 and 22 and pressing them together against the biasingforce of the spring 25. After the pawl is disengaged from the ratchedwheel 74,

the reduction device 73 may be rotated as desired by hand relative tothe input shaft 26 for completing the resetting operation withouteffecting rotation of the roller bail 9.

When the pawl 79 is disengaged from the ratched wheel 74, the reductiondevice 73 is free to rotate in the holder 72 without a correspondingrotation of the input shaft 26. So, when the arm 6 is turnedcounterclockwise around the shaft 7 by manually forcing the levers 21and 22, any rotation imparted directly to the output shaft 27 effects acorresponding rotation of the reduction device 73 around the input shaft26 which does not rotate but remains stationary due to the heavy loadingon the shaft.

Although a balancing weight is used for urging the roller bail towardthe package in the above-described modified embodiments, any type ofurging mechanism, for example a spring, can be used for this purposewithout departing from the scope of the invention.

Further, in the referred embodiments, any linear connector can besubstituted for the links 63 and 81 if any suitable additional means foreffecting engagement between the gears 51 and 56 or ratchet pawls 79 andratchet wheels 74 is employed.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a precision winder mechanism for winding a package on arotationally driven spindle of the type provided with a rotatable rollerbail extending along the length of the package; means for mounting saidrotatable roller bail in a position to lightly contact the peripheralsurface of said package and for effecting frictional rotation of saidroller bail during said winding operation, said means comprising asupport arm pivotally mounted on a stationary shaft fixed to the frameof the machine, support means carried by said arm for supporting saidrotatable roller bail, and means for urging said roller bail towardssaid package; and means for moving said arm and roller bail away fromcontact with said package, said last mentioned means comprising a speedreduction device carried by said arm and provided with rotatably mountedinput and output shafts, means for transmitting rotational movement ofsaid roller bail to said input shaft at a given transmission ratio, afirst gear fixed to said output shaft, a second gear rotatably mountedon said support means in releasable meshing engagement with said firstgear, a winding drum coaxially disposed and fixed to said second gear,and a flexible linear connector fixed at one end to a stationary part ofthe machine frame and at the other end to the periphery of the windingdrum, whereby rotation of said roller bail effects rotation of saidwinding drum to wind thereon said linear connector to thereby rotatesaid am and said roller bail away from said package.

2. A precision winder mechanism as defined in claim 1, including meansfor manually disengaging said second gear from said first gear.

3. Improvement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for manuallydisengaging said second gear from said first gear comprises anothershaft secured to said arm, a first lever secured to said other shaft, asecond lever turnably mounted on said other shaft, a spring disposed inbetween said two levers normally biasing them apart, a second armrotatably supporting said secondgear and pivotally mounted on saidsupport means and a linear connector for connecting said second lever tosaid second arm; whereby said first and second gears are disengaged bymanually pressing said first and second levers together.

4. In a precision winder mechanism for winding a package on arotationally driven spindle of the type provided with a rotatable rollerbail extending along the length of the package; means for mounting saidrotatable roller bail in a position to lightly contact the peripheralsurface of said package and for effecting frictional rotation of saidroller bail during said winding operation, said means comprising asupport arm pivotally mounted on a stationary shaft fixed to the frameof the machine, support means carried by said arm for supporting saidrotatable roller bail, and means for urging said roller bail towardssaid package; and means for moving said arm and roller bail away fromcontact with said package, said last mentioned means comprising a speedreduction device rotatably mounted on said support means includingrotatably mounted input and output shafts with the axial center lines ofsaid speed reduction device and said shafts being in axial alignment,

means for transmitting rotational movement of said roller bail means tonormally efiect engagement of said ratchet pawl with said ratchet wheel,whereby rotation of said roller bail effects rotation of said windingdrum to wind thereon said linear connector to thereby rotate said armand said roller bail away from said package.

5. A precision winder mechanism as defined in claim 4, including meansfor manually disengaging said pawl from said ratchet wheel.

6. Improvement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means for manuallydisengaging said pawl from said ratched wheel comprises another shaftsecured to said arm, a first lever secured to said other shaft, a secondlever turnably mounted on said shaft, a spring disposed in between saidtwo levers normally biasing them apart, and a linear connectorconnecting said ratchet pawl to said second lever, whereby said ratchetpawl is disengaged from said ratchet wheel by manually pressing saidfirst and second levers together.

k l I.

1. In a precision winder mechanism for winding a package on arotationally driven spindle of the type provided with a rotatable rollerbail extending along the length of the package; means for mounting saidrotatable roller bail in a position to lightly contact the peripheralsurface of said package and for effecting frictional rotation of saidroller bail during said winding operation, said means comprising asupport arm pivotally mounted on a stationary shaft fixed to the frameof the machine, support means carried by said arm for supporting saidrotatable roller bail, and means for urging said roller bail towardssaid package; and means for moving said arm and roller bail away fromcontact with said package, said last mentioned means comprising a speedreduction device carried by said arm and provided with rotatably mountedinput and output shafts, means for transmitting rotational movement ofsaid roller bail to said input shaft at a given transmission ratio, afirst gear fixed to said output shaft, a second gear rotatably mountedon said support means in releasable meshing engagement with said firstgear, a winding drum coaxially disposed and fixed to said second gear,and a flexible linear connector fixed at one end to a stationary part ofthe machine frame and at the other end to the periphery of the windingdrum, whereby rotation of said roller bail effects rotation of saidwinding drum to wind thereon said linear connector to thereby rotatesaid arm and said roller bail away from said package.
 2. A precisionwinder mechanism as defined in claim 1, including means for manuallydisengaging said second gear from said first gear.
 3. Improvement asclaimed in claim 2, wherein said means for manually disengaging saidsecond gear from said first gear comprises another shaft secured to saidarm, a first lever secured to said other shaft, a second lever turnablymounted on said other shaft, a spring disposed in between said twolevers normally biasing them apart, a second arm rotatably supportingsaid second gear and pivotally mounted on said support means and alinear connector for connecting said second lever to said second arm;whereby said first and second gears are disengaged by manually pressingsaid first and second levers together.
 4. In a precision windermechanism for winding a package on a rotationally driven spindle of thetype provided with a rotatable roller bail extending along the length ofthe package; means for mounting said rotatable roller bail in a positionto lightly contact the peripheral surface of said package and foreffecting frictional rotation of said roller bail during said windingoperation, said means comprising a support arm pivotally mounted on astationary shaft fixed to the frame of the machine, support meanscarried by said arm for supporting said rotatable roller bail, and meansfor urging said roller bail towards said package; and means for movingsaid arm and roller bail away from contact with said package, said lastmentioned means comprising a speed reduction device rotatably mounted onsaid support means including rotatably mounted input and output shaftswith the axial center lines of said speed reduction device and saidshafts being in axial alignment, means for transmitting rotationalmovement of said roller bail to said input shaft at a given transmissionratio, a winding drum fixedly mounted on said output shaft, a flexiblelinear connector fixed at one end to a stationary part of the machineframe and at the other end to the periphery of the winding drum, aratchet wheel fixed to a side of said speed reduction device, a ratchetpawl lever pivoted on said support means and positioned to releasablyengage with said ratchet wheel, and means to normally effect engagementof said ratchet pawl with said ratchet wheel, whereby rotation of saidroller bail effects rotation of said winding drum to wind thereon saidlinear connector to thereby rotate said arm and said roller bail awayfrom said package.
 5. A precision winder mechanism as defined in claim4, including means for manually disengaging said pawl from said ratchetwheel.
 6. Improvement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means formanually disengaging said pawl from said ratched wheel comprises anothershaft secured to said arm, a first lever secured to said other shaft, asecond lever turnably mounted on said shaft, a spring disposed inbetween said two levers normally biasing them apart, and a linearconnector connecting said ratchet pawl to said second lever, wherebysaid ratchet pawl is disengaged from said ratchet wheel by manuallypressing said first and second levers together.